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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the understanding of the term corporate social responsibility (CSR) by Sri Lankan immigrant entrepreneurs in Australia. It also seeks to investigate the importance the entrepreneurs place on CSR, their understanding of stakeholders, the types of CSR activities undertaken by them, and the issue of social capital.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with Sri Lankan entrepreneurs based in Victoria, Australia.FindingsThe interviewees were aware of the term CSR but, nevertheless, had different interpretations of its meaning. However, CSR was considered important and all the interviewees were, in some way, involved in CSR activities and also had a good understanding of the importance of their stakeholders. Findings also highlighted the significance attached to social capital by the entrepreneurs such as informal relationships and trustworthiness which build the intangible attributes of CSR. The present findings can be attributed to immigrant entrepreneurs behaving partly to adapt to the host country, by changing their beliefs, values, traditions and partly by being influenced by their home country culture as found in the extended part of this current study.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper addresses gaps in the fields of both CSR and immigrant entrepreneurship literature. However, the small sample size is a limitation and further research is required in order to generalize the findings.Originality/valueIt is important to have an understanding of the interpretation of social responsibility amongst immigrant entrepreneurs. Despite the steadily growing number of Sri Lankan immigrant entrepreneurs and their potential impact on the Victorian and Australian socio‐economic context, this area remains under‐researched. This paper addresses this gap in the literature and makes an attempt to provide insight into this area that can be used as a catalyst for future research.

This paper summarises the findings of the qualitative part of a large study aimed at exploring the extent of involvement of organisational stakeholders (employees and suppliers) during the environmental management system (EMS) adoption process. Interviews with nine senior/middle managers from Australian manufacturing and service organisations revealed the growing awareness of the impact of their products and processes on the ecological and social environments. Moreover, implementation of an EMS or waste management system (WMS) is accepted as a learning curve by both the organisation and its stakeholders, including its employees. Organisations at the same time are also contemplating the need for certifying their existing EMS against international standards such as ISO 14001 based on the cost‐benefits resulting from the certification.

PurposeTerrorism is as old as humanity itself, but its new form in the twenty-first century is adversely affecting the performance of businesses in both developing and developed countries. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyse the evolution and diffusion of academic knowledge on the topic of terrorism in business-related literature.Design/methodology/approachData was gathered from two databases, namely, the Scopus and Web of Science over 30 years (1990–2019). The search terms related to terrorism in titles, abstracts and authors' keywords, which resulted in a total of 1,097 articles. Bibliometric methods, including a thematic and content analysis identifying main themes and using Gephi and VOSviewer software, were used to analyse the data.FindingsThe results reveal the productivity of the main actors, current thematic choices and future research opportunities. The main thematic areas of the research arising from the bibliometric analysis included the impact of terrorism on economic growth, Foreign Direct Investment, tourism, stock market reforms, security of multinational corporations as a result of terrorism and finally, the impact of political instability and terrorism on business. This study's findings may guide the research of future academics and assist policy stakeholders in their strategic choices related to future business development.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has certain limitations that are inherent to the bibliometric methods or to the choices related to data collection and processing.Practical implicationsThis study recognised evolution and trends regarding the influence of terrorism on businesses, which is crucial information for the development of business and policy strategies in the future. These strategies should enhance the ability of businesses to cope with the negative effects of terrorism and make these effects less devastating. For academics, this study provides relevant insights on recent research trends in the field of terrorism in business and emerging future academic thematic opportunities.Social implicationsThe findings of the study indicate that issues of terrorism in business have broader social implications, which both academia and policy stakeholders can attend with their work.Originality/valueThis bibliometric review offers new insights into terrorism from the business lens by identifying the common streams of research in the field, along with the key journals, articles, countries, institutions, authors, data sources and networks in this field. The future research directions in this field of knowledge are also articulated in the study.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a nuanced interpretative frame that can help global managers with recommendations to avoid misapplied power with group and organizational situations.Design/methodology/approachEmbodied metaphor is applied in analysis of the theory-praxis nexus to reconceive the bases, processes and resources associated with group and organizational power. Identified are patterns of relations in organizational bases and circuits of power, as expressed through literal and symbolic aspects of human hands and fingers. The paper does not revolve around gesticulations; instead focusing upon a novel, meta-cultural development of touchlines of the human hand, revealing conceptual relationships with the implementation of influence.FindingsA differentiated understanding of the touchline powers of technology, information, self-awareness, relation to others and access to money can respectively improve decisions and actions. Insights are provided in the areas of controlling people to achieve objectives, demeaning others, managing change and resistance for personal gain, negotiating contracts, advancing personal interests and coordinating reward or punishment.Research limitations/implicationsChoosing one metaphor may contribute to the exclusion of other perspectives, however, the embodied nature of the hand and touchlines tends to cross cultures and may assist further research to address the embedded nature of abuses of organizational power.Originality/valueThe contribution is in the theory-praxis nexus to assist global managers in addressing the risk of potential misuse of power and influence in organizations and to respond to calls for ancient indigenous epistemological systems to assume a role in contemporary management studies.

AbstractThis paper highlights the organic link that exists between the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities undertaken by the Indian corporate sector and their alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from 2014–2016; the period after mandatory CSR came into existence as per Indian Companies Act. In this study, we identify critical areas pertaining to SDG goals neglected by corporate sector as far as CSR investments are concerned. We find that more CSR investments must be drawn towards climate change, biodiversity, Sustainable consumption and production, marine life and conserving flora and fauna. The sectoral analysis reveals that the companies falling under sectors that have a higher environmental footprint and impact are more concerned about taking up initiatives through CSR. The geographic analysis revealed that efforts need to be made to increase CSR expenditure in seven north‐eastern states, Jammu and Kashmir, and Union Territories. This paper recommends that the system needs to be further reviewed in light of the current observations.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to address an important question which centres on investigating how do manufacturing businesses perceive and understand the concepts of agility and flexibility in their supply chains (SCs).Design/methodology/approach– A case study approach was utilised and data were gathered from semi-structured interviews with ten organisations in the Australian manufacturing sector. Data analysis was conducted using analytic techniques based on, for example, pattern matching and cross-case synthesis.Findings– Findings confirmed that there is some ambiguity concerning the understanding of the terms agile and flexible, both within and between organisations. The implications are that there is often little consistency in the way the terms are operationalised and then applied. In this regard, and to inform future research, the paper offers empirically grounded definitions for SC agility and flexibility. Moreover, four propositions are developed and discussed which shed light on the dynamics of agility and flexibility in the SC.Originality/value– This is one of the first empirical studies to address some of the apparent inconsistencies between organisational applications of agility and flexibility, and their impact on SC operations.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to discuss how decisions regarding organisational flexibility can be improved through targeted resource allocation, by focusing on the supply chain's level of uncertainty exposure. Specifically, the issue of where and in what ways flexibility has been incorporated across the organisation's supply chain is addressed.Design/methodology/approach– A two-phase methodology design based on literature review and case study was used. Using 83 journal articles in the areas of uncertainty and flexibility an analytical process for assessing uncertainty-flexibility mismatches was developed. Furthermore, results from ten interviews with senior/middle managers within the Australian manufacturing sector were used to provide preliminary insights on the usefulness and importance of the analytical process and its relationship with organisational practice.Findings– The paper emphasises the importance of having a systematic and encompassing view of uncertainty-flexibility mismatches across the supply chain, as well as the significance of socio-technical engagement. The paper both conceptually and empirically illustrates how, using a structured analytical process, flexibility requirements across the supply, process, control and demand segments of a supply chain might be assessed. A four-step analytical process was accordingly developed and, its application, usefulness and importance discussed using empirical data.Practical implications– The analytical process presented in this paper can assist managers to obtain a comprehensive overview of supply chain flexibility when dealing with situations involving uncertainty. This can facilitate and improve their decision-making with respect to prioritising attention on identified flexibility gaps in order to ensure stability of their performance.Originality/value– The paper presents a supply chain-wide discussion on the difficulties that uncertainty brings to organisations, and how organisational flexibility might serve to moderate those challenges for supply chain management. It discusses how to identify the flexibility gap and proposes an original analytical process for systematic assessment of uncertainty-flexibility mismatches.

PurposeIncreasing pressure to enhance research coupled with a desire for a broadening of academic input, are prompting greater levels of collaboration. Research collaboration can generate notable benefits but can also pose a variety of challenges. The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons, facilitators, benefits and challenges of academic collaboration. It also provides suggestions to manage identifiable risks and enhance team dynamics.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual paper exploring prior literature in relation to the contentious points of research collaboration, particularly in regard to authorship attribution.FindingsThe authors present two checklists that researchers can utilise to ensure the successful completion of collaborative projects. The checklists incorporate the main factors required for effective collaborative work and research, and form a foundation for discussion among team members.Originality/valueThe paper draws upon experiences, observations, academic literature and protocols, and provides strategies and recommendations to enhance collaboration and authorship attribution. The two checklists presented in the paper are value‐adding for team members.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a realistic assessment, with an historical perspective, of the current practises and progress made by organisations towards elimination of child labour in global supply chains.Design/methodology/approachLiterature review in the area of use of child labour within the global supply chain was combined with additional information obtained from the company searches of the GRI database, company ranking tables, and other sources.FindingsChild labour is one of a number of areas of concern in global supply chains. Continued exploitation of child labour indicates an imbalanced state and consequently forces can be unleashed through standardization, collaboration and communication amongst all stakeholders to ensure protection of the vulnerable. This paper is part of the broader analysis informing incremental changes to supply chain management to preserve the rights and welfare of children in the present and future generations.Research/limitations/implicationsThe analysis is based on secondary data sources and further research is thus needed to verify the individual weightings of the criteria used in the primary ranking of the companies.Practical implicationsThe findings provide encouragement for policy and decision makers to implement incremental changes to global supply chains in order to protect the rights and welfare of children, according to the standards of Social Accountability (SA) 8000, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and other world trade stakeholders.Originality/valueThis paper questions the view that child labour incidences have diminished proportional to economic development. A swinging fulcrum with hidden traps for developed and developing nations in light of cross border transactions through supply chains has been proposed.

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine the adoption of an environmental management system (EMS) in government departments involved in one Australian state and identify the key factors that contribute to successful adoption.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through semi‐structured interviews conducted with environmental coordinators involved in the EMS adoption. The external consultant appointed by the Environmental Protection Authority who provided the training on behalf of the government departments was also interviewed.FindingsThe results from the analysis shows that environmental coordinators valued the training as it enhanced their knowledge and skills. They experienced a combination of both tangible and intangible benefits. The lack of contribution and support from top management; difficulty in accessing resources; and resistance from employees were the main challenges experienced during EMS implementation. Recommendations made by the interviewees included: providing training to top management to increase their understanding of the EMS process and its benefits; selection of the right champion; provision of adequate resources; and, training of employees.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are based on interviews conducted in only one Australian state and no follow up interviews could be undertaken to track the progress made by various departments.Originality/valueThe findings of this paper are original as no other similar study has been undertaken in this Australian state documenting the experiences of environmental coordinators when implementing an EMS. Our findings have practical implications for public sector organisations and government departments implementing EMS.

PurposeThis paper aims to identify and discuss new and novel business paradigms in China and India. In addition, this study examines the new business environment in those countries (2020 onwards) in the context of COVID 19 and explores the challenges and opportunities in the post COVID period.Design/methodology/approachBased on content analysis, this study discusses contemporary topics such as innovation, exports, foreign direct investment, technology, social capital, board independence as part of corporate governance and explores novel themes such as consumer behaviour in regard to luxury brands and women entrepreneurship in an emerging country context in this paper.FindingsIt was found that there are several novel paradigms in the context of China and India. A paradigm shift in diplomatic relations has taken place as an aftermath of COVID-19 in the world.Originality/valueThis paper explores most of the unique dimensions of new and novel paradigms in the context of China and India.

PurposeThe paper aims to discuss the need to balance selflessness and self‐interest issues in outsourcing decisions. This discussion is timely given the tensions that currently exist between those who want off‐shore outsourcing to continue as a means for increasing international trade, and those who only want to conduct business on‐shore.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual approach has been taken in this paper in order to highlight key considerations for ethical decision‐making with respect to off‐shore outsourcing.FindingsConsiderations of selflessness and self‐interest are embedded in outsourcing decisions. It is recommended that a balance between making profits and fulfilling social responsibilities is required, ideally, at each stage of decision‐making. Hence, managers should think critically about the reasons behind off‐shore outsourcing decisions, the process of arriving at decisions, and the impact of their decisions on stakeholders.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a conceptual paper and further empirical data to validate the stages of decision‐making framework are required.Practical implicationsFailure to take into account the selflessness and self‐interest outcomes of off‐shore outsourcing could potentially off‐set strategic gains by leading to negative media publicity for a company.Social implicationsEthical considerations as part of outsourcing decisions should result in a transparent, fair and more humane working environment for both the host and the home country representatives involved in the process.Originality/valueThis paper presents an original framework of selflessness and self‐interest considerations when making off‐shore outsourcing decisions. Both Eastern and Western business perspectives have been incorporated as part of the decision‐making framework.

PurposeThis paper seeks to describe an integrated management systems (IMS) approach for the integration of corporate sustainability into business processes.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive review of published literature was conducted. Building on existing research, the paper presents an original framework for structuring the integration of corporate sustainability with existing business infrastructure. The framework is supported by a detailed set of diagnostic questions to help guide the process. Both the framework and the diagnostic questions are based on the "Plan‐Do‐Check‐Act" cycle of continuous improvement.FindingsThe paper highlights the need for a systematic means to integrate sustainability into business processes. Building on that point, the paper illustrates how an IMS approach can be used to structure the entire process of managing, measuring, and assessing progress towards corporate sustainability.Practical implicationsThe paper should be of interest to both practitioners and researchers. The framework and diagnostic questions will help guide decision makers through the process of building sustainability into their core business infrastructure. Since the framework and diagnostic questions provide the flexibility to accommodate specific organizational contexts, it is anticipated that they will have wide applicability.Originality/valueThe paper makes several contributions. The framework provides a systematic approach to corporate sustainability that has not been elaborated on in previous publications. The unique set of diagnostic questions provides a means to evaluate the extent to which corporate sustainability has been integrated into an organization.